First Russia-Africa Summit: What Nations Agreed On at Historic Meeting in Sochi
13:22 10.07.2023 (Updated: 10:47 03.08.2023)
© Sputnik . Ekaterina Lyzlova
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The First Russia-Africa Summit was held in Sochi on October 23-24, 2019, under the theme "For Peace, Security and Development." This was the first time such a large-scale event was held in the history of modern Russia, and was unprecedented in Russian-African relations.
At the end of the Summit on October 24, the participants adopted a final declaration, outlining the approval of goals and objectives for the future development of Russian–African cooperation in various fields, including politics, security, economics, science and technology, cultural and humanitarian spheres.
Here is the full text of the declaration of the First Russia–Africa Summit.
We, the Heads of State and Government of the Russian Federation and African States, recognized by the United Nations (UN) (hereinafter also referred to as the Russian Federation and African States), and representatives of the leading economic regional organizations in Africa are meeting on 24 October 2019 in Sochi (Russian Federation) to participate in the First Russia-Africa Summit,
building on the friendly ties between the Russian Federation and African States, the traditions of joint struggle for decolonization and independence of African States, as well as the rich experience of multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation that serves the interests of our peoples,
committed to the fundamental principles and purposes of the UN Charter and norms of the international law, as well as emphasizing the need for their strict compliance by all States,
expressing firm intention to fully contribute to achieving international peace and security and to building a more just and equitable system of international relations based on the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs of States, preservation of national identity and civilizational diversity,
noting the convergence or similarity of approaches to many issues on the global and regional agendas,
sharing and supporting the goals of African States enshrined in their social and economic program "Agenda 2063" adopted in January 2015 at the 24th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, as well as those contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the UN General Assembly in resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015,
reaffirming the resolve to progressively develop comprehensive cooperation between the Russian Federation, African States and leading subregional organizations in Africa,
acting in accordance with national legislations of the Russian Federation and African States, have agreed as follows:
Establishment of Mechanism for Dialogue Partnership
1. Establish a Russia-Africa Partnership Forum with a view to coordinating the development of the Russian-African relations, and designate the Russia–Africa Summit as its supreme body to be convened once every three years.
2. Hold annual political consultations between Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and African States acting as the present, former and future Presidencies of the African Union in the period between Summits.
Political Cooperation
3. Develop an equitable dialogue taking account of the interests of the Russian Federation and African States on the basis of a multilateral world order. Oppose the revision of the universally recognized principles and norms of international law and the UN Charter, as well as the practice of adopting unilateral measures and imposing approaches that undermine common interests of the international community in general.
4. Cooperate closely in the implementation of the goals and principles of the UN Charter and ensure that the UN plays an active role in international affairs, particularly in maintaining international peace and security. Coordinate efforts to reform the UN, including its Security Council, as well as to increase its capacity to counter the existing and new global challenges and threats.
5. Strengthen global governance and consider reforming the UN Security Council taking into account the geopolitical realities with a view to making it a more representative body by ensuring greater participation of African States.
6. Hold both regular and extraordinary consultations between the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN and permanent missions of African States to the UN. Continue strengthening contacts and coordination between Russia and non-permanent UN Security Council members from among African States with a view to jointly promoting shared interests.
7. Develop cooperation within other international organizations and provide greater mutual support when holding elections to their governing bodies and making decisions on issues of particular importance for the Russian Federation and African States.
8. Promote deeper BRICS-Africa partnership and cooperation between the BRICS countries and African States aimed at strengthening the collective mechanisms of global governance within a multipolar system of international relations, with developing countries and emerging market economies playing a significant role, as well as facilitating their sustainable socio-economic development in the context of the fourth industrial revolution.
9. Intensify Russia–Africa inter-parliamentary contacts and coordinate efforts for international parliamentary events to arrive at decisions and resolutions that would benefit the Russian Federation and African States. Contribute to establishing a regular dialogue between the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and National Parliaments of African States, as well as to setting up bilateral friendship groups among them.
10. Facilitate the people-to-people contacts between Russia and African States using the potential of non-governmental organizations and various fora, including the youth ones.
Security Cooperation
11. Contribute to greater cooperation in addressing traditional and modern challenges in the field of security, first of all international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, as well as extremism, transnational crime, and trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors. Collaborate in the fight against terrorism and extremism on the basis of international law, primarily the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
12. Intensify communication between law enforcement agencies and special services of the Russian Federation and African States, in particular between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and the police cooperation organizations of African States, with a view to countering organized crime, illegal drug and human trafficking, illicit arms trade, money laundering, illegal migration and piracy.
13. Coordinate efforts and share experiences in fighting against terrorism and extremism, including while implementing joint programmes to build the necessary capacity of the requesting African States and train African peace keeping missions’ personnel at specialised educational institutions of the Russian Federation and African States.
14. Urge the international community to take further collective actions and make comprehensive efforts to combat all terrorist groups regardless of their form and ideology, and prevent further growth of organized crime, in order to eliminate the terrorist threat. Call upon all UN Member States to continue implementing specific actions and measures to elaborate legislation related to social media regulation, prohibition or restriction on the use of non-governmental and charitable organizations for illegal purposes, as well as the prosecution of individuals and organizations providing any kind of support to entities or persons involved in terrorist activities , and continue to implement measures to prevent terrorist groups from recruiting new members and facilitate the elimination of terrorist financing sources.
15. Continue close cooperation to resolve and prevent conflicts in Africa as part of Silencing the Guns by 2020 Initiative launched by the African Union. The principle African solutions to African problems should continue to serve as a basis for conflict resolution.
16. Cooperate in order to ensure the integrity, viability and universalization of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons which has demonstrated the capability of the balanced structure of the obligations pertaining to the three pillars contained herein: non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and disarmament. Counter attempts to undermine the existing architecture of international arms control, nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament instruments.
17. Work together to prevent an arms race in outer space. Cooperate within relevant international organizations and fora to foster various constructive initiatives to promote peaceful use of outer space. Support efforts aimed at developing a legally binding multilateral instrument establishing reliable guarantees of non-placement of weapons of any kind in Earth orbit, on the basis of a draft treaty on the prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space, the threat or use of force against outer space objects. Reaffirm at the relevant international fora that the Russian Federation and African States, whilst noting the Russian Federation’s declared policy not to be the first to place weapons in outer space, will make every possible effort to prevent outer space from becoming an arena for military confrontation and ensure security of outer space activities. Call upon all space-faring nations to follow their example. Explore opportunities for collaboration between the Russian Federation and African States in peaceful use of outer space and facilitate cooperation and exchanges of technical data with the African Space Agency.
18. The Russian Federation and African States Parties to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) of 16 December 1971 and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) of 13 January 1993 commit themselves to complying with and strengthening these Conventions, including by adopting a protocol to the BWC that provides for, inter alia, an efficient verification mechanism. Exert active joint efforts in relation to the activities raising questions with regard to the compliance with the BWC. The Russian Federation and African States Parties to the BWC and CWC stress that it is inadmissible to set up any mechanisms that duplicate functions of the BWC and circumvent the UN Security Council. Responding to the threat of chemical and biological terrorism, the Russian Federation and African States Parties to BWC and CWC insist that multilateral negotiations are necessary to elaborate an international convention for the suppression of acts of chemical and biological terrorism.
19. Make efforts aimed at improving the international security situation and work consistently to increase the level of inter-State trust and strengthen global and regional stability based on the principle of equal and indivisible security for all States. In this context, pay particular attention to maintaining and strengthening the international arms control and nuclear non-proliferation architecture.
20. Enhance cooperation in post-conflict peacebuilding and development on the African continent through implementing capacity-building programs and infrastructural projects. Welcome the role that the African Union Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development Centre could play in this regard.
21. Express concern over the fact that modern information and communication technologies can be used for the purposes incompatible with the task of maintaining international peace, security and stability, including for terrorist and other criminal purposes. Facilitate Russia–Africa cooperation in the area of international information security. Make efforts to consolidate positions and coordinate steps within relevant international fora.
22. Cooperate in the field of information and communication technologies based on the need to continuously work under the UN auspices on the rules of responsible behavior of States in cyberspace that stipulate the principles of non-use of force, respect for sovereignty of States, non-interference in internal affairs of States and envisage the use of such technologies exclusively for peaceful purposes; support the efforts of the international community to prevent conflicts in cyberspace and bridge the "digital divide".
Trade and Economic Cooperation
23. Join efforts to promote trade, investment and sustainable development and make the global economic system more socially oriented. Oppose any manifestations of unilateralism, protectionism and discrimination, as well as support the world trade regime based on the rules of the World Trade Organization.
24. Support Russian and African entrepreneurs in exploring ways of mutually beneficial cooperation. The participants in the Russia–Africa Summit highly appreciate the outcomes of the African Union Extraordinary Summit in Niamey (Republic of Niger) in July 2019, including the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area. The Russian Federation expresses its desire to cooperate with African States in trade, industry and investment facilitation, while exploring ways to support the efforts by African States to encourage their collaboration, infrastructural development and industrialization.
25. Take steps to identify promising areas of economic, trade and investment partnership between the Russian Federation and the African Union, as well as the leading subregional organizations: the Arab Maghreb Union, the G5 Sahel, the Southern African Development Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the East African Community, the Economic Community of West African States, the Economic Community of Central African States, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.
26. Make efforts to substantially expand the trade between the Russian Federation and African States and diversify it, including by increasing the share of agricultural products in import and export operations. Assist the existing bilateral Russian-African intergovernmental commissions and committees on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation in their work, and contribute to establishing new similar partnership mechanisms between the Russian Federation and African States. Encourage active participation of the business community in events, such as exhibitions, fairs and congresses in Russia and African States; develop the practice of exchanging business missions.
27. Facilitate trade and economic cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Union and African States.
28. Promote energy security cooperation, including the diversification of energy resources, the use of renewable energy sources and implementation of joint projects in civil nuclear energy. Continue mutually beneficial cooperation in the oil and gas industry.
29. Provide necessary assistance to major Russian companies working in African markets and entrepreneurs from African States who plan to operate in the Russian Federation through reciprocally improving investment and business climate, as well as through providing possible special preferences.
30. Work together to counter political dictatorship and financial blackmail in international trade and economic cooperation, prevent individual countries from obtaining the exclusive right to determine the appropriateness and permissible parameters of legal collaboration between other countries; avoid manipulating requirements of the global non-proliferation regime for exerting pressure on unwelcome countries and competing unfairly.
Legal Cooperation
31. Adhere to the principles of international law, as reflected in the UN Charter and the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance with the UN Charter adopted on 24 October 1970.
32. Believe that the principle of sovereign equality is crucial for the stability of international relations.
33. Uphold the principle that States shall refrain from the threat or use of force in violation of the UN Charter and condemn unilateral military interventions.
34. Adhere to the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of States, and condemn as a violation of this principle any interference by States in the internal affairs of other States with the aim of overthrowing legitimate governments. Consider extraterritorial application of national law by States in violation of international law as an example of violation of the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of States.
35. Follow the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes, thus contributing to de-escalation of tension and promotion of peaceful cooperation among States.
36. Share the view that the good-faith implementation of generally recognized principles and norms of international law rules out the practice of double standards or imposition by some States of their will on other States. Consider introducing unilateral coercive measures not based on international law, also known as unilateral sanctions, an example of such practice. The adoption of unilateral coercive measures by States alongside measures adopted by the UN Security Council can deprive the latter of their subject matter and purpose and undermine their integrity and effectiveness.
37. Reaffirm the fundamental importance for the Russian Federation and the African States of the universally recognized principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, which has become the legal basis for the decolonization process.
Scientific, Technical, Humanitarian, and Information Cooperation
38. Facilitate cooperation in joint research projects, greater collaboration among universities and major research centers of the Russian Federation and the African States, and organization of scientific conferences and seminars, encourage further exchanges, joint training, and cooperation in the academic field, as well as in culture, education, technology, sports, health care, tourism and mass media.
39. Strengthen national health care systems and improve their reliability and resilience in combating epidemics, pandemics and other public health challenges. Joint efforts should aim, inter alia, at developing national and local capacity by improving competent, productive, responsible, transparent, equitable and accountable to the State health care systems, which should help improve the quality of basic medical services, increase in scientific research and development, and greater economic capacity of health care service providers.
40. Consider the perspectives for cooperation in preventing and mitigating natural disasters and epidemics, discuss ways of strengthening cooperation in such fields as humanitarian assistance, combatting climate change, drought and desertification, natural disaster prevention and mitigation, as well as monitoring and forecasting of emergencies.
41. Develop cooperation in education and implement professional training and academic exchange programmes to promote social stability through the protection and empowerment of individuals, in particular young people, women and persons with disabilities by making education, technical and vocational training more accessible. The participants in the Russia–Africa Summit reaffirmed that quality education and the development of skills to apply the knowledge gained by young people and women could be a driving force behind structural economic transformation and industrialisation in African States, as well as a basis for strengthening industrial capacities needed to diversify the economy.
42. Respect the civilizational diversity and highlight its benefits as well as stick to the position that people-to-people contacts and cultural exchanges are essential for the development of mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation between the peoples of the Russian Federation and the African States. Encourage further exchanges, mutual learning and cooperation in culture and education.
43. Extend cooperation in the information field, including strengthening ties among national media outlets, information sharing, training (refresher training) of journalists, contacts between line ministries and agencies. Strengthen the legal and contractual framework for cooperation in communications and mass media. Promote mutual participation of mass media bodies in the Russian Federation and the African States in national digital and cable broadcasting networks. Facilitate the opening of Russian and African mass media hubs in the respective territories of African States and the Russian Federation.
44. Consider the opportunities for scientific and technical cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of outer space.
Cooperation in Environmental Protection
45. Strengthen efforts to address climate change in Africa, transfer necessary technologies, build the capacities and enhance the abilities of African States to build resilience against and adapt to the negative impact of climate change.
46. Welcome the outcomes of the Climate Action Summit, convened on 23rd of September 2019 in New York on the initiative of the UN Secretary General, and express support for the universal call for action on States to adapt and build their resilience to the negative impact of climate change. Encourage countries to join these actions and adopt relevant measures, especially in Africa.
47. Call for a dedicated and comprehensive replenishment of the Green Climate Fund and for enhancing climate action while stressing that climate finance should not lead to increasing debts of States, especially African States, or jeopardize their sovereignty.
